Trails of the Unexpected - Cologne - British Airways x Culture Trip

Trails

unexpected

of the

From Street Culture to Kölsch – 24 Hours in Cosmopolitan Cologne

Cologne is known as Germany’s gayest city, but it’s also a year-round destination for inventive eating, lively neighbourhoods and some truly epic clubs. Here’s how to get the best from a fleeting visit.

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COLOGNE

Cavtat’s many coves.

and swimming spots in

You’ll find beach cafés

A row of pastel-coloured buildings brighten up the streets in Cologne’s Altstadt (the historic city centre)

With a big day ahead, start things right with breakfast at Café Rico. Planted in a sweet spot near Rudolfplatz in the city centre, the café offers a lively atmosphere and laid-back approach that belie its more German attributes. Expect to meet huge plates, great service and a clientele likely to have emerged from the nearest club. A particular favourite with LGBTQ locals, it’s also been known to host some colourful parties. Afterwards, a short stroll into multicultural Ehrenfeld will help you walk off your meal and get acquainted with Cologne’s culture. The neighbourhood is cool, communal and not (yet) gentrified; you can duck into the side streets in search of pop-up fashion boutiques and hofflohmärkte, flea markets held in the communal gardens of apartment blocks. “These streets are unique and make us proud to live in such an open-minded, open-hearted place,” says Christo, a Cologne local for 21 years. “Live and let live isn’t an attitude here; it’s part of Cologne’s culture.”

words by DUNCAN MADDEN —— photography by FREDERIKE WETZELS —— illustration by ANa galvaÑ

Next stop? A taste of local Cologne. Jump in a taxi to Ebertplatz, a recently revitalised Brutalist urban square in the Agnesviertel district. “Its development over the last few years made me fall in love with my neighbourhood all over again,” says Anki, a local designer and regular visitor to its galleries, bars and fantastical stainless-steel, water-kinetic fountain. “Ebertplatz is a great example of community involvement in the restoration and design of public spaces,” she adds. “When they turned on the fountain after 20 years, it turned a so-called ‘no-go zone’ into the bustling heart of the neighbourhood.”

salzburg

Johann Schäfer is a modern pub and brewery with sustainability at its core

British Airways offers direct and regular flights from London Gatwick to bilbao. Prices start from £30 each way, based on a return fare.

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British Airways offers direct and regular flights from London Gatwick to Cologne.

Book now at ba.com

salzburg

BILBAO

next stop: amsterdam

Plaza Nueva is at the heart of Bilbao, but it’s not just a postcard destination for historical snapshots. The plaza’s tall, Neoclassical colonnades flank the bars and restaurants at the centre of the city’s pintxo scene, and positioned in a prominent corner sits a Bilbao institution: Gure Toki. Every day, chef Iván Siles arrives and mans his spot behind the stoves before 10am. Diners and pintxo hoppers will begin to trickle in at noon and won’t stop until closing time.

In the mid-20th century, Basque country’s lively drinking culture gave birth to pintxos, bite-size morsels of tasty local food, often served on cocktail sticks. Today, the phenomenon lives on in Bilbao’s inventive spots like Gure Toki.

Words by Marti Buckley Photography by Markel Redondo Illustration by Ana Galvañ

london gatwick

COLOGNE

Trails

unexpected

of the

By early evening, the locals have reclaimed the Old Town’s pedestrianised limestone streets. Join them for a stroll along Stradun, the main promenade, before heading out of Pile Gate to discover the bars and restaurants outside the Old Town. All the good spots are within walking distance, including the cool vaulted interior and shaded terrace at the Mediterranean restaurant and bar Sesame. But if you’re after seafood with a view, try the Ala Mizerija café in a little cove beside Fort Lovrijenac.

The enchanting village of Cavtat, which sits on a two-pronged peninsula, should be your next stop; it’s about a half-hour bus ride – or a pleasant boat trip from the Old Port. Wander along the wooded trails that hug the Rat peninsula, where you’ll find rustic beach cafés and swimming spots in the many coves. If you’re feeling peckish, stick around to dive into a plate of mussels at the Restaurant Leut on Cavtat’s waterfront before heading back.

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salzburg

BILBAO

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British Airways offers direct and regular flights from London Gatwick to Cologne.

If the cityscape takes its toll, dip into nature with a 40-minute train ride to Langenfeld-Berghausen and its artificial lake, home to a huge wakeboard park and the world’s first floating surf pool. While the adventurous can dive in, there’s a sandy beach, wooded parkland and buzzy café if you prefer to watch the action, perhaps with another Kölsch in hand.

For food, retrace your steps back to Cologne for dinner at Brauhaus Johann Schaefer, just south of the city centre. A mash-up of modern and traditional, it infuses a pub atmosphere with a regional ‘head to hoof’ menu and beers brewed on site. If it’s cold out, order the roasted pork shoulder cooked in honey, and wash it down with a Südstadt Pils.

As the temperature drops, head to one of the local bars to immerse yourself in the city’s glorious nightlife scene. LGBTQ-friendly Kattwinkel is always buzzing, while nearby Elektrabar and Bar Suderman are great for cocktails before your late-night mission to Odonien. Proving you don’t need to head to Berlin for counterculture clubbing at its best, Odonien is part performance art, part cultural centre, part nightclub. With open fires next to throbbing dance floors and rusty robot sculptures by Odo Rumpf, you’ll get to throw shapes with plenty of party people – and if you do it properly, you’ll still be there when the sun comes up.

Naples is a surprisingly superb year-round destination; its abundance of indoor – or underground – attractions offers a respite from rain or the midday heat of the city. Once breakfast is sorted, head to the world-class National Archaeological Museum where you’ll find many of the finest frescoes from nearby Pompeii on display. But the real eye-opener is the gabinetto segreto, or secret cabinet, brimming with ancient erotic art that leaves little to the imagination.

In the morning, an Austrian breakfast might be a typical continental affair: think (bread rolls), with butter and jam, cold meats, eggs and fruit. Glüxfall on Franz-Josef-Kai puts a creative spin on these standards, serving up impeccable dishes from Wednesday to Sunday, executed to perfection. Diners at the modern café can build their own breakfasts from a mix-and-match menu, but the waffles with elderflower or scrambled eggs with bacon chutney come highly recommended. However, if you’d rather kick-start your morning with a stellar caffeine hit, making a visit to 220 Grad a must. Around the corner from the Salzburg Museum on Chiemseegasse, this small but stylish café means business when it comes to coffee; leather-bound menus come with a glossary of bean varieties and flavours so you learn all about the brew before you order. You can also tuck into top grub with your skillfully crafted coffee, thanks to a selection of breakfast options, with plenty of options for vegetarians and vegans.

open-hearted place."

in such an open-minded,

and make us proud to live

"These streets are unique

Johann Schäfer is a modern pub and brewery with sustainability at its core

You never know what you’ll discover on a street art tour in Ehrenfeld

Johann Schäfer’s motto is “have fun while eating”, and it specialises in seasonal dishes

Suderman Bar is considered one of Cologne’s must-visit bars for its selection of craft beers and cocktails

The Hohenzollern Bridge, which crosses the river Rhine, is decorated with thousands of love locks

Hip café and bar Hallmackenreuther is known for its stylish interiors and excellent menu

Get up close to the city’s impressive street art in the creative Ehrenfeld district

Make your own fragrances at House of 4711 – a site where world-famous colognes have been created since 1792

Roam around Ehrenfeld and you’ll see the best street art sprayed, scrawled and stuck across walls and buildings

With breakfast but a memory, head through the Belgian Quarter to the tip of the Bermuda Triangle. An alternative to the Old Town, it’s known for its hip venues like bar and restaurant Hallmackenreuther, a recently reopened Cologne institution with a history entwined with the city’s music scene. “It’s also a great place to try your first Kölsch (Cologne’s famed beer) of the day,” adds Christo. Time your walk to reach Ehrenfeld train station by 11am as Alternative Cologne Tours' free street-art tour kicks off – it’s a chance to learn why Ehrenfeld is a magnet for the world’s best urban artists. Alongside work by luminaries – like ‘banana sprayer’ and local artist Thomas Baumgärtel or ROA, whose controversial skinned rabbit graces Senefelderstrasse – you’ll see the best artwork sprayed, scrawled and stickered on everything from fire hydrants to front doors.

“These streets are unique and make us proud to

live in such an open-minded, open-hearted place.”

Once night falls, the creative Odonien nightclub become a lively music and culture hub

From Street Culture to Kölsch –24 Hours in Cosmopolitan Cologne